Red Bull are talking to Ferrari's Carlos Sainz about a drive for 2025 but Audi have offered him far more, the energy drink brand's motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said on Thursday.
Sainz, 29, must leave Ferrari at the end of the season to make way for Mercedes' seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The Spaniard, race winner in Australia last month, told reporters at the Chinese Grand Prix on Thursday his best options remain open and it would take time to reach a decision.
Sainz has been linked to Red Bull as a possible teammate for triple world champion Max Verstappen, recreating their 2015-2016 Toro Rosso line-up, if Mexican Sergio Perez does not have his contract renewed.
Marko told Austria's Kleine Zeitung newspaper Sainz was of interest.
“We're talking to him, he's having his strongest season in Formula One,” said the Austrian. “But he has a lucrative offer from Audi that we can't match or beat.”
Audi are entering Formula One in 2026 when Swiss-based Sauber, so far without a point in four races this season, become the German manufacturer's factory team.
Marko said the experienced Perez was also having his best season since joining them in 2021.
“If he maintains these performances such as those in qualifying in Japan, he is the best option for 2025 at Red Bull.
“He is a worker for the team and has now also realised the radically different path he took last year with set-up was the wrong one. Now the car is closer to Max's set-up and that helps him.”
Australian Daniel Ricciardo has also been in the frame for a possible return to the main Red Bull team but has yet to assert himself at the renamed RB, the outfit previously known as AlphaTauri and Toro Rosso.
Marko said so far Yuki Tsunoda had Ricciardo “under control”.
“The challenge for him [Ricciardo] was he clearly had to be faster than Yuki if he wanted to have any hope of winning the seat at Red Bull. That hasn't been the case so far, even if, as I said, it was close. We'll see how this develops,” he said.
Marko says Red Bull can't match Sainz's Audi offer
Image: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Red Bull are talking to Ferrari's Carlos Sainz about a drive for 2025 but Audi have offered him far more, the energy drink brand's motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said on Thursday.
Sainz, 29, must leave Ferrari at the end of the season to make way for Mercedes' seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The Spaniard, race winner in Australia last month, told reporters at the Chinese Grand Prix on Thursday his best options remain open and it would take time to reach a decision.
Sainz has been linked to Red Bull as a possible teammate for triple world champion Max Verstappen, recreating their 2015-2016 Toro Rosso line-up, if Mexican Sergio Perez does not have his contract renewed.
Marko told Austria's Kleine Zeitung newspaper Sainz was of interest.
“We're talking to him, he's having his strongest season in Formula One,” said the Austrian. “But he has a lucrative offer from Audi that we can't match or beat.”
Audi are entering Formula One in 2026 when Swiss-based Sauber, so far without a point in four races this season, become the German manufacturer's factory team.
Marko said the experienced Perez was also having his best season since joining them in 2021.
“If he maintains these performances such as those in qualifying in Japan, he is the best option for 2025 at Red Bull.
“He is a worker for the team and has now also realised the radically different path he took last year with set-up was the wrong one. Now the car is closer to Max's set-up and that helps him.”
Australian Daniel Ricciardo has also been in the frame for a possible return to the main Red Bull team but has yet to assert himself at the renamed RB, the outfit previously known as AlphaTauri and Toro Rosso.
Marko said so far Yuki Tsunoda had Ricciardo “under control”.
“The challenge for him [Ricciardo] was he clearly had to be faster than Yuki if he wanted to have any hope of winning the seat at Red Bull. That hasn't been the case so far, even if, as I said, it was close. We'll see how this develops,” he said.
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